Climbers saved by rock

Press, 29 December 1988, Page 8

Climbers saved by rock

PA Invercargill A rock jutting from Sir William Peak, near Mount Earnslaw, saved an Invercargill man and his Scots companion from death, the police said yesterday. Jonathon Mark Taylor, aged 31, and Sally Fiona Jappy, aged 20, were plunging down the mountain face when their rope snagged on a rock and stopped them. The pair were climbing Sir William Peak, roped together, when a rock dislodged underneath them and they tumbled down the mountain.

Miss Jappy fell 20m and Mr Taylor fell 8m down the slope. If they had kept falling, they would have rolled off a ledge and prbably died, said Constable Gavin Jensen, a member of the rescue team. “They were very, very lucky,” he said. The couple were rescued from the Esquilant bivvy on Mount Earnslaw yesterday after a climbing accident on Boxing Day. Mr Taylor broke an ankle and Miss Jappy, who was in Queenstown on holiday, broke an arm. Both

climbers were bruised but in a satisfactory condition in Lake County Hospital last night. The ordeal did not end at the bottom of the hill. With no help in sight, the climbers began crawling to the bivvy. They spent Monday night out in the open on the slope, but were well prepared, Constable Jensen said. On Tuesday they were found by two trampers. The trampers helped the injured climbers to the hut, spent the night with them, and walked out to raise the alarm yesterday.